Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘HOME’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
I've always been drawn to the entertainment industry. In my early teens, I aspired to be an actor, but my parents didn't see it as a serious pursuit or a viable career path. It's understandable—Asian parents often aren't familiar with the entertainment field unless they're somehow connected to it. In my late teens to mid-20s, I shifted to music, but when I had my first child, I moved on from that as well. I then served ten years in the military, which provided me with the benefits to pursue an education in film. I earned my BA in film production and am now finishing up my MFA in Editing at Chapman University. So far, including "Home," I've written, directed, and edited four short films on my own, outside of school.
After COVID, when the world started to reopen, I seized the opportunity to make my first short film. I learned a lot from that experience and moved on to the next project, and then the next. My goal is to explore different film genres because I believe it's the best way to learn the various aspects of filmmaking. Each genre presents unique challenges and requires a different set of skills. Staying in my comfort zone would hinder my growth, so I push myself to take risks and tackle new challenges.
For me, understanding the 'why' behind the craft of storytelling is more important than just knowing the 'how.' My team and I work with limited budgets, but we always find ways to make it work. We strive to push the limits with each project, and while it's not easy, it's possible with proper planning and calculated risks. I've been fortunate to collaborate with like-minded artists who don't shy away from difficult situations but instead find ways to overcome them. That's been key to our continued progress.
Tell us about ‘HOME’. How do you describe it?
Without giving away anything, “HOME” is an exploration of trauma, survivors guilt, family issues that carry over from one generation to the next. How we’ve dealt with harsh circumstances and how that might echo through time.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
There are so many and for so many different reasons. I admire a lot of film makers who aren’t necessarily a household name but the ones who understand the craft of storytelling. If someone can make you cry in an action film, they understand the nuances of pacing and subtext. Those are the things I’m always looking out for. There is a common thread that all great film makers share and that’s understanding how to move a story along. Not all the fancy toys or set pieces, yes, they make a huge contribution to the overall, but you can tell a great story in one room as well.
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
Before I began my journey as a storyteller, I always wanted to revisit a small pocket of time from my past. Korea Town in Los Angeles during the late 1990s and mid-2000s was a unique era. It was fun, dangerous, mysterious, and so much more. That world doesn't exist anymore; it feels like a forgotten time. I'd love to tell the story of the generation that grew up post-L.A. riots, capturing the essence of that period.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
I would simply continue working with the same people I'm with now because I trust them completely. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and I have no doubt that we would find a way to make it work. Trust is everything. Having been in the military, I've experienced the importance of a solid unit firsthand. You never want to second-guess the person next to you. For me, making a movie is like going to war, figuratively speaking. Everything is against you from the start, and you must fight your way through countless obstacles. There's a finish line, and we must move together in the same direction to reach it. One weak link could bring everyone down.
What was the hardest part of making ‘HOME’.
To be completely honest, the process didn't feel that hard. Yes, we worked hard, but shooting it wasn't particularly difficult. This time around except for a few actors, I had already worked with most on previous projects. We have become good friends since then and we know how to work with each other. That is a luxury I will never take for granted. The whole cast and crew were so present and extremely talented that it did not feel like I had to do anything more than make sure I direct the film to its destination. As an editor at heart, I love rediscovering the film in the editing process. I usually stick to the plan I've laid out, but I'm always open to discovering new elements. That's the magic of filmmaking—you can plan everything down to the last detail, but you never know what you might find or if you need to change course to discover something even better. 9 times out of 10, there is always something better to be found, you just must allow yourself to go there and trust the process. That’s why it’s so important to work with people you trust and share that trust mutually. You can wander off together, if you stray too far, you can pull each other back without the fear of stepping over your boundaries.
The biggest challenge for me this time around was mixing and sound design. I spent a month teaching myself how to mix and clean up dialogue. It was tough on my ears, and I experienced ear fatigue from the process. I had no idea that was a real thing until I looked it up. I had to take a week to reset because my hearing had become so sensitive. But I did it, and this project pushed me to learn something new, so I am grateful for that. That's one of the aspects of this film that I'm very proud of, and I hope it resonates with anyone who watches it.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
I'm always daydreaming, I don’t think I’ll ever stop daydreaming. I’m always bugging my wife about new ideas, most of them are horrible but it helps me work through the bad stuff to find one good idea and I do consider that a form of writing. Even if I'm not physically putting pen to paper, I'm constantly thinking of new ways to tell a story. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel; instead, I'm focused on creating my own approach and storytelling style that works for me. Everything I've written has been inspired by my life experiences, and that approach has served me well so far. My next couple of projects are still in development, and I'm hoping to shoot two of them in the spring. I'm looking forward to sharing these new works with your audience once they're complete.
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